After Ahab’s death, the story moves seamlessly into 2 Kings, where Ahab’s son, King Ahaziah (of Israel), was injured and attempted to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron. Really?

GOD’s angel spoke to Elijah the Tishbite: “Up on your feet! Go out and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria with this word, ‘Is it because there’s no God in Israel that you’re running off to consult Baal-Zebub god of Ekron?’ Here’s a message from the GOD you’ve tried to bypass: ‘You’re not going to get out of that bed you’re in—you’re as good as dead already.’” Elijah delivered the message and was gone. (2 Kings 1.3, 4, MSG)

The messengers return and relay Elijah’s message, and the king reacts:

The king said, “Tell me more about this man who met you and said these things to you. What was he like?” “Shaggy,” they said, “and wearing a leather belt.” He said, “That has to be Elijah the Tishbite!” (2 Kings 1.7, 8, MSG)

So the king sends a captain and 50 men to fetch Elijah. Elijah calls down lightning on two such groups.

The king sent a captain with fifty men to Elijah. Meanwhile Elijah was sitting, big as life, on top of a hill. The captain said, “O Holy Man! King’s orders: Come down!” Elijah answered the captain of the fifty, “If it’s true that I’m a ‘holy man,’ lightning strike you and your fifty men!” Out of the blue lightning struck and incinerated the captain and his fifty. (2 Kings 1.9, 10, MSG)

This story, of course, is the source of James and John’s response to inhospitable Samaritans:

When it came close to the time for his Ascension, [Jesus] gathered up his courage and steeled himself for the journey to Jerusalem. He sent messengers on ahead. They came to a Samaritan village to make arrangements for his hospitality. But when the Samaritans learned that his destination was Jerusalem, they refused hospitality. When the disciples James and John learned of it, they said, “Master, do you want us to call a bolt of lightning down out of the sky and incinerate them?” Jesus turned on them: “Of course not!” (Luke 9.51 – 55, MSG)

Back to Elijah and his times. In all this, God is trying to get people’s attention, yes? There is a God in Israel. I know what you’re thinking and that you’ve sent men to consult with the wrong god. I can incinerate 51 men any time I want.

By the way, a young pastor started to say positive things about the LGBT… movement. A few seconds in, lightning struck. Maybe God is still trying to get our attention! Despite the ministries of Elijah, Elisha, and other prophets, the Northern Kingdom, Israel, never repented. Here’s a sneak preview:

The exile came about because of sin…They took up with other gods, fell in with the ways of life of the pagan nations GOD had chased off, and went along with whatever their kings did. They did all kinds of things on the sly, things offensive to their GOD, then openly and shamelessly built local sex-and-religion shrines at every available site…Everywhere you looked there was smoke from their pagan offerings to the deities…They had accumulated a long list of evil actions and GOD was fed up…GOD had taken a stand against Israel and Judah, speaking clearly through countless holy prophets and seers time and time again, “Turn away from your evil way of life. Do what I tell you and have been telling you in The Revelation I gave your ancestors and of which I’ve kept reminding you ever since through my servants the prophets.” (2 Kings 17.7 – 13 MSG, emphasis mine)

He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. (Proverbs 29.1, NKJV)

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness. (2 Peter 3.10, 11, NKJV)